The age of the drone – Keeping an eye on the nation’s water

Abstract

Time magazine dedicated much of its June 11 issue to a special report on ‘The Drone Age’ , and used 958 tiny drones flying in formation to recreate its iconic cover design. The international open-access journal Water is calling for papers for a special issue entitled ‘Water management using drones and satellites in agriculture’ , and many scientific and industry conferences nowadays include a session on the use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It was drone footage of the Western Cape’s nearly empty Theewaterskloof Dam that brought home the stark reality of the drought to many Cape Town residents, perhaps prompting them to intensify their water-saving efforts. At the other extreme, drones were used to map the extent of flooding and assess damage to property and infrastructure during the UK’s disastrous 2015-2016 floods.

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